West by Midwest

Great song to start the morning with - “Animal Arithmetic” by Jonsi, lead singer from Sigur Ros,

The perfect spring song - “Fair Weather Friends” by Daedelus.

Barrett, in honor of our love for the Los Campesinos!, who have a new album out now, and our love of Usher.  This is the mix up by the Hood Internet.  Enjoy.

Freelance Whales at Mercury Lounge on January 20th.  Apparently you have to know how to play every instrument and play musical chairs when you’re in Freelance Whales.  It was a rotating performance.  One song on the keyboard, everyone rotate, glockenspiel, everyone rotate, weird box that has an accordion like extension, everyone rotate.

Ce Jeu by Yelle

Thanks, Yelle, for making every morning a dance party morning.  Even when I am at my desk at work, “Ce Jeu” makes the formulas on my Excel spreadsheets tingle and bounce around.  The best part of having “Ce Jeu” stuck in your head is you cannot explain or sing the song to anyone else since it’s in French.  You most likely end up embarrassingly mumbling sounds that are nothing like the song.

Below is the English translation:

crazy and so obvious
i cant make any sense of 
this exciting game
so good but so tiresome
you like to manipulate me
and i like to do it just as much
we’re 2 victims of this sweet
lovers’ game

i’d make the effort, i know you by heart
all i have to do is ignore you
so that you come back crying
i take care of you
you leave again
and thats how it goes
always the same thing
and i know it will happen every time

crazy and so obvious
i cant make any sense of 
this exciting game
so good but so tiresome
you like to manipulate me
and i like to do it just as much
we’re 2 victims of this sweet
lovers’ game

passion, emotion
correcting the equations
i mix up the solution
but i always get the same sensation
its clear, i can no longer make
any sense of this exciting game
so good but so tiresome

I bought tickets to the Freelance Whales at Mercury Lounge on Wednesday, January 20th, The Drums with Surfer Blood at Bowery Ballroom on Wednesday, January 13th, and Phantogram on Friday, February 12th at Mercury Lounge.

Tip: I bought the tickets in person at Mercury Lounge, which saves all those “convenience” fees.  I bought all three tickets for $40 or so.  It’s open from 12-7 Monday through Saturday and only takes cash.

If you start listening to any of these groups, I’d recommend starting with these songs

• Surfer Blood - “Swim to Reach the End”
• The Drums - “I Felt Stupid”, “Let’s Go Surfing”
• Freelance Whales - “Hannah”, “Starring”
• Phantogram - “Mouthful of Diamonds”, “Running from the Cops”

OBSESSION: \äb-ˈse-shən, əb-\ noun. 1 : a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling.

This is my sentiment towards La Roux, the coolest British chick busting synthpop beats that I cannot get enough of. Eleanor Jackson collaborates with synth player Ben Langmaid to create a whole bevy of electronic brilliance. I highly recommend listening to more here and please, for the love of little baby Jesus, watch a video or two. She is the bees knees.

They are scheduled to play Webster in February. I DIE.

I’d like to extend the welcome mat to our first reader. Welcome, Beth!

group photo. hottest musical badasses i know.

With the effervescence and breathy female voice similar to Chairlift but with the pop undertones to keep the songs moving and structured, Class Actress from Brooklyn brings me much happiness on this start to a weekend.